The Greatest Love Story Never Told
by Kate Pendragon
Summary: Jane Austen and her sister, Cassandra, visit their cousin, Eliza in Paris. While at the Opera they meet a dashing young Vicomte named Raoul Dechagney. Sparks fly instantly between Jane and Raoul. But what of Raoul's obsession with Christine Daae? And Raoul isn't the only one who wants Christine. Will the classic tale of Phantom inspire Jane to write her first masterpiece?
1. Arriving in Paris

"Jane! Cassandra!" Eliza cried happily, embracing her two younger cousins. "I'm so glad you could come." She said, breaking the hug.

"Thank you for inviting us." Cassandra said, leaving Jane to only smiled.

"Well, before you unpack, I have a surprise for you. I have three tickets to 'Hannibal' for tonight's performance."

"That sounds lovely," Cassandra said. "Doesn't it, Jane?"

Jane nodded.

* * *

_A Few Hours Later_

When the sisters finished unpacking, Cassandra turned to Jane.

"What's the matter with you?" She said.

"What do you mean?"

"You've barley said anything since we left England."

Jane didn't reply. "I know you're hurting." Cassandra said. "But that's why we're here. To make you forget him. Please, just try."

"For you, I will." Jane said, trying her best to smile, if only to appease her sister. She knew that the end result was less than satisfactory, but it seemed to be good enough for her sister

"Thank you." Cassandra smiled, which Jane returned. "See, now how difficult was that?" The both giggled. "Now let's go, we don't want to be late for the Opera."

Jane followed Cassandra down the stairs and out the door.

"There you are." Eliza said. "Are you ready to go?"

They nodded. "Excellent."

The three climbed into the waiting carriage and headed to the Opera House.

* * *

"_Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade_

_They have their seasons, so do we_

_But please promise me that sometimes_

_You will think of me!"_

The audience cheered as the girl on stage bowed. The curtain fell and the audience began to exit the auditorium.

"Come, there are some people I want to introduce you to." Eliza said. Jane and Cassandra followed her to the entrance.

"Eliza!" Someone called.

"Katherine!" Eliza said, hugging the young woman. "How are you?" She asked, after breaking the embrace.

"I'm well, all though my brother has disappeared," The young woman glanced over her shoulder and round the crowd for a moment, but eventually gave up her brief search once again as her attention was drawn to the Austen girls, "but who are these?"

"These are my cousins, Cassandra and Jane. They're visiting from England."

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Katherine DeChagney."

Before Jane or Cassandra could say anything, a man walked over to them.

"Raoul, I was wondering where you'd run off to."

"I went to see Christine again."

"Christine Daae?"

Raoul nodded. "And who is this?"

"Raoul, you remember Eliza?"

"Of course," He said, giving Eliza a smile.

"And these are her cousins, Cassandra and Jane."

"A pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." Cassandra said.

"Please, if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner date." Raoul said, after a few moments of silence.

"Of course." Eliza said.

* * *

"Christine." Raoul tried the door to her room. It was locked. "Christine!"

"_Come to me Angel of Music. I am your Angel of Music." _A voice from the other side of the door said.

"Whose voice is that? Who is that in there? Christine!" He kept trying the door, until finally the voices faded. Raoul tried the door a few more times, but it wouldn't budge. He sighed and headed for the exit.

As he stepped outside he saw Jane standing at the bottom of the steps, waiting for a carriage.

"Need a ride?" He asked. Jane jumped.

"Oh, monsieur, you frightened me."

"Forgive me…Where are your sister and cousin?"

"Oh, well Katherine invited us to dinner, but I was feeling rather tired. I keep trying to find a carriage…"Her voice trailed off as another carriage passed by, full to the capacity with Opera Goers. That seemed to be just her luck tonight, all of the rides were to busy carrying large parties to care to stop for the fares of a single passenger.

"I'll take you wherever you need to go." Raoul offered, as his carriage pulled up.

"Thank you." Jane smiled. Raoul helped her into the carriage, then got in himself.

There were a few moments of silence before Jane spoke. "Forgive me, but I thought you were meeting someone for dinner."

"I was, but she seems to have disappeared…would you like to join me, Miss…"

"Austen…And I would, but I told your sister I couldn't join her. I don't want to seem rude."

"Don't worry. Katherine won't be offended. Please, I insist."

Jane sighed. "Alright."

* * *

"So you're a writer?" Raoul said, taking a sip of his wine.

"Yes. My mother keeps telling me it can be nothing more than a hobby, but I don't think so. I want nothing more than to have something of mine published."

"That's sound wonderful. What have you written?"

"A few things. Most recently, 'First Impressions'. Although, I'm thinking of renaming it."

"Sounds intriguing."

"Thank you…Do you know what time it is?"

Raoul looked at the clock. "It's 10:30."

"Oh, I really should be getting back." Jane said, rising from the table.

"Of course. Thank you for joining me. This has been a lovely evening. I hope we can do it again."

Raoul said as he rose with her.

"That would be lovely, monsieur."

"Raoul."

"What?"

"Please, call me Raoul...Now, do you need a ride home?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

The carriage pulled to a stop in front of Eliza's home.

"Once again thank you for a lovely evening, Jane." Raoul said, as Jane climbed out of the carriage.

The door flew open before Jane had a chance to knock.

"Where have you been?!" Cassandra yelled. Jane laughed, turned around and waved to Raoul before entering the house and shutting the door.

"You scared Eliza and I to death! Where were you?"

"Raoul invited me to dinner."

"Jane?" Eliza said coming down the stairs. "Finally! You had a us worried sick. Where were you?"

"With the Vicomte DeChagney." Cassandra answered for her.

"Vicomte?" Jane asked, confused.

"Yes. He's a Vicomte. He didn't mention that?"

"No."

"Look, Jane," Eliza started, guiding her cousins to the coach. "I know Raoul is a very nice man, but his family, well, they are very particular as to who their children… associate with." Jane could tell her cousin was very uncomfortable discussing this topic.

"Eliza, we're just friends. Not even friends, acquaintances. You have nothing to fear. I promise."


	2. The Ancient and Noble House of DeChagney

"Eliza, I really don't want to talk about this."

"Jane, please," Her cousin insisted. "I know you say nothing will happen with you and Raoul, but even so if you are just his friend you should know this."

"Fine."

Eliza led Jane to the sitting room. The two sat on the sofa.

"Now," Eliza said with a sigh. "The DeChagney's are a very old and very proud family, they always marry money, love is never a factor. One of Raoul's aunts, however, refused to marry for money. She was in love with a shopkeeper's assistant, Thomas was his name. She would marry no other." Eliza smiled sadly, but then her face turned grim. "Pierre DeChagney was a cruel man. When he found out his daughter wanted to marry a shopkeeper's assistant he was furious. He tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. He had some of his men beat Thomas to death."

Jane's hand flew to her to her mouth. "How could he do such a thing?"

Eliza shook her head. "I don't know…she's still unmarried you know. She's 58 and she's still Miss Ella DeChagney. After her father had Thomas killed, he tried to force Ella to marry the man he had originally wanted her to she agreed."

"But you said-"

"However, the night before he wedding she locked her door and moved her wardrobe in front of it. When they came to wake her up the next morning the door wouldn't open. Her father was furious and demanded she come out, she said she would come out when the wedding was cancelled and all thoughts of her marrying were gone."

"But why did she accept in the first place?"

"Ella knew her father well and knew how he would have made her marry the man and he would have someone watch her all night."

"How long was she in her room?"

"Two weeks."

"How did she survive without food?"

"Her father said she had to eat at some point, so he had some men wait outside her door. What he didn't know was Ella had found a passageway down to the kitchen and when everyone was asleep she would eat. She might have been there longer had her father not died. Her eldest brother, Raoul's father, was furious. He didn't allow Ella to go to the funeral service, not that she cared, I would imagine. Ella still lives in the DeChagney Manor with her brother and his family. Katherine says that she even barricades herself in her room on the day Thomas was killed."

"I'm sorry, but why tell me this?" Jane asked after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, I got a little off topic, but the point was that the DeChagney's will stop at nothing to get what they want. And I don't want you in the middle of that."

"Eliza, I appreciate your concern, but nothing has or is going to happen between me and Raoul DeChagney."

* * *

The whole Opera House was in an uproar. Christine was missing and Carlotta was mad about anote she'd recived telling her not to perform.

"Miss Daae has returned." Madam Giry announced as she entered the atrium.

"May I see her?" Raoul asked.

"No, monsieur, she will see no one."

"She needed rest." Meg Giry, Christine's best friend, added.

"Will she sing?" Carlotta demanded.

"Here, I have a note." Madam Giry said, handing it to the mangers.

The note demanded that Carlotta play the page-boy, a silent role, while Christine was to play the Countess. A disaster was to occur if things went otherwise.

Andre and Firmin, however, refused to listen to the Phantom and cast Carlotta as the Countess and Christine as the page-boy.

"Do you think this is wise?" Madam Giry asked Raoul.

"Madam, the Opera Ghost is just a myth…Are you sure Christine wo't see me?"

"Yes, monsieur."

Raoul sighed. "Alright." As he left the Opera House, Raoul decided to go visit Jane. She was unlike the ladies in Paris, she spoke her mind, Raoul liked it. She was a pleasure to talk to and he had to admit, he was growing rather fond of her.

* * *

"Monsiuer DeChangey." Eliza said. "What a surprise."

"I was wondering If I could see you cousin, Madame."

"Of course, she's on the patio."

Eliza led Raoul through the house and to the back where Jane and Cassandra were having tea on the lawn.

"Jane, you have a visitor." Eliza announced. Jane looked up from her book.

"Raoul, what a pleasant surprise." She smiled.

"Why don't you take a walk through the gardens?" Cassandra suggested.

"A wonderful idea." Raoul offered Jane his arm, and the two set off.

"Are you coming to the Opera House tonight?" Raoul asked.

"No. I would love to go, but I think Eliza and Cassandra would rather stay home."

"Well, then would you accompany me to the Opera House on Saturday night, Miss Austen?"

Jane giggled. "I would be delighted, Monsieur DeChagney."

The two talked for a little longer before Raoul departed.

Jane waved as his carriage pulled away. They both began to wonder if their feeling for each other were just friendship.

* * *

**I was originally going to name this chapter 'The Ancient and Most Noble House of DeChagney' Like the chapter from Order of the Phoniex, but it didn't fit. Please Review!**

**~Kate**


	3. Elinor and Marianne

Jane grabbed her notebook and headed out to the garden. After Raoul had left, an idea for a novel had come to her.

Two sisters- Marianne and Elinor- of little fortune. Jane always started her stories out with a few notes on characters and their backgrounds. Another thing she did, was base characters off herself or people she knew.

_Elinor Dashwood- Cassandra_

_Marianne Dashwood- Me_

_Edward Ferras- Robert_

She paused for a moment as she thought of a name for Raoul's character.

_Willoughby, John Willoughby_

The rest of the characters were more or less right out of Jane's head. Within the next hour she had a plot.

_When Elinor and Marianne's father dies, the money is all left to their half-brother. This forces Marianne, Elinor, their mother and little sister to move into to a small cottage. Before they left, Elinor met and fell in love with Edward Ferras. Recently, however, she's discovered that Edward is engaged to a Miss Lucy Steele._

_Now it's Marianne's turn for some romance. While visiting a cousin, the family meets Col. Christopher Brandon. Brandon falls head over heels for Marianne, but she does not return his feelings. Her eyes are on John Willoughby. Who appears to feel the same way. However, after a few months, Col. Brandon reveals to Elinor that Willoughby is engaged to a Miss Grey. This breaks Marianne's heart. Willoughby feels torn. Finally he decides to break his engagement to Miss Grey and marry Marianne._

_Shortly after that, they receive news that Edward died of pneumonia._

_Elinor and Col. Brandon, who are very close friends, decide to marry, seeing as neither one of them can marry who they really want._

It wasn't much, but it was a start. Jane decided.

"What is that?" Cassandra asked. "First Impressions?"

"No," Jane responded, closing the book. "It's a new one."

"Well, I can't wait to read it. What's it called?"

"I'm not sure yet. I was thinking Sense and Sensibility."

"Good title." Cassandra said, taking a sip of her tea. "Eliza tells me that you are going to the Opera with the Vicomte on Saturday." She added casually. Jane slammed her notebook down on the table, causing Cassandra to jump.

"I am sick of you and Eliza jumping down my throat about this! There is nothing between the Vicomte and I! We are friends and he's just being kind to me. Now let the subject drop!"

Cassandra put her hands up in surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry, I'll say no more about it."

"Thank you." Jane gave her sister a curt nod then got up and stalked off. As she walked in the garden she began to think about it.

Her cousin and sister were really starting to annoy her. She and Raoul were just friends. Nothing more. Although whenever she saw him, Jane had begun to notice that her heart did beat faster. And she absolutely loved it when he smiled at her.

"Oh God," She breathed, collapsing on the bench. "I'm in love with the Vicomte DeChagney."

* * *

**I had fun writing this chapter! I chose Sense and Sensibility because I've noticed similarities between Phantom and Sense and Sensibility. I had fun making up the "originally" storyline. **

**Anyway! Review please! You're opinions are very much valued!**

**~Kate**


	4. All I Ask Of You

"Well, what do you think?" Jane asked as she started downstairs.

"Oh Jane you look stunning." Cassandra smiled.

"Very beautiful." Eliza applauded. For the Opera, the young writer had decided to wear a simple, yet elegant, red dress. Just then there was a knock on the door.

"And that would be the Vicomte. Have a wonderful time, Jane, and be sure to tell us everything when you've returned." Eliza smirked. Jane shot daggers at her cousin.

* * *

"I'm afraid you're in for a bit of a disappointment tonight." Raoul said as Jane sat down in the carriage.

"Oh? Why is that?"

"La Carlotta is performing tonight."

"I've not heard of her."

"I don't suppose I'm being very fair. She has a decent voice, but it doesn't even come close to comparing with Christine's." Raoul concluded.

"Christine does have the voice of an angel." Jane agreed. The two chatted till they reached the Opera House. The driver opened the door and helped Jane out. Raoul climbed out of the carriage and offered Jane his arm. He led her to Box Five and the pair took their seats.

"The show should be starting soon. " Raoul told her.

A few minutes later the curtain went up. The show was very silly, Jane decided, but enjoyable. She recognized Christine as the pageboy.

The show continued for a few more minutes in peace, when suddenly La Carlotta started to croak. The curtain closed and the managers announced that Christine would be playing the role of the countess and until then the ballet from act 3 would be performed. The curtain's opened once again and the dance began as quickly as the performers could get it to, however, it had only just started when a body suddenly dropped from the rafters, hanged by someone unknown. Everyone screamed in shock and fear.

As everyone began to panic, Raoul stood up. "Jane please excuse me, but I want to make sure Christine's alright. Stay here."

"But –"

"Jane please. I'll be back in a moment." Raoul said, exiting the box.

Jane waited a moment before getting up and following him. She was heading in the direction of Christine's dressing room, but saw Raoul following Christine up a set of stairs. She shrugged and decided to follow. Christine was saying something that Jane couldn't quite hear. Finally they reached the roof. Raoul and Christine talked quietly for a few moments and Jane was about to go back to the box when she heard Raoul say, "No more talk of darkness forget these wide-eye fears, I'm hear nothing came harm you. My words will warm and calm you."

Jane felt her heart shatter. Raoul loved Christine. The words pounded in her brain as the couple confessed their love for each other. Finally they finished and headed for the door. Jane ducked behind a statue. Tears started to fall, but she wiped them away. Sitting there and crying would do nothing. Jane was about to go back to the box when she heard another person's sobs. In the dark, Jane could just make out a black figure kneeling.

"Hello?" Jane called. The figure stood up and started to get up. "No please! I won't hurt you!" The figure turned back to face her. As she got closer, Jane could see it was a man. He was about six foot with black hair. But what really caught Jane's attention was the pristine white mask that clung to the right side of his face.

"I'm Jane Austen." She said kindly, offering him her hand.

"I'm Erik." He replied.

"Nice to met you Erik…I take it that I'm addressing the Phantom of the Opera." She added.

"You would be correct… Yet you aren't screaming. Why is that?"

"Believe me, I would love to scream, but not at you."

"Oh?"

"The man I love, loves another." She said. "I take it you saw them?"

"Yes. The Vicomte DeChagney and Christine." Jane saw tears roll down Erik's face.

"Do you love Christine?" She asked gently.

"With all my heart." He replied, wiping the tears away. They stood in silence for a few moments.

"Looks like I'll have to change the ending for my novel." Jane sighed.

"You write novels?" Erik asked.

"Yes. None are published, but hopefully one day."

"May I ask what you mean when you say you'll have to change the ending?" Jane then explained the love life of the two fictional sisters. She told him how she had based some of the characters off herself, her sister, and Raoul.

"Willoughby doesn't deserve Marianne." Erik commented when she had finished.

Jane laughed. Suddenly she realized how similar Erik's situation was to that of Col. Brandon's. A man of at least 30 in love with a young girl who loves a younger man…"No, Erik, he doesn't." Jane agreed.


End file.
